Pliers



June 6, 1961 s. w. FORD 2,986,962

PLIERS Filed May 3, 1960 5 9 INVENTOR United States Patent M 2,986,962 PLIERS Shelley W. Ford, 4064 Rose Hill Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio Filed May 3, 1960, Ser. No. 26,651 1 Claim. (Cl. 81383) My invention relates to pliers and the like. Among objects of this invention are: To provide a plier construction capable of developing a powerful gripping force between the jaw -faces without the need of excessive hand pressure being applied to the handles. To provide a plier with jaws capable of a wide spread of movement away from each other in open position with only a comparative minimum of open space between the two handles being necessary. A plier simple in construction and easily understood by those familiar with the production or use of ordinary hand tools.

Further objects of this invention will be found in the following description and drawings herewith.

FIG. 1 is a side view of said pliers embodying the invention in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a forward edge view of said pliers.

FIG. 3 shows another side view of said pliers similar to FIG. 1 in open position.

FIG. 4 is a detached view of second handle member 3.

FIG. 5 is a detached view of second jaw member 4.

FIG. 6 is a detached view of first handle member 1 and first jaw member 2 integrally formed.

FIG. 7 is a detached view of link member 5.

As shown in said drawings and particularly referring to the assembled parts shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a lever is provided having the usual conventional handle member 1 integrally formed at one end and the usual conventional jaw member 2 integrally formed at its other end. A second jaw member 4 is provided with the conventional gripping face at one end, a. pivot socket at its other end and a supporting boss intermediate said ends. Said jaw 4 is pivotally connected to said lever intermediate its ends adjacent to and rearwardly of pivot 6 at pivot 7. A second handle member 3 is provided and pivotally mounted on said lever at pivot 6. A link 5 is provided having an elongated slot 8 at one end, a cylindrical boss formed at its other end and a slightly elongated slot 9 intermediate its ends.

Thus it may be seen that when the two handles are moved toward each other the gripping end of jaw 4 is moved toward jaw 2, and by this movement said jaw 4 is also moved toward an imaginary center line between said jaws and said handles. During this same movement Patented June 6, 1961 link 5 moves correspondingly with pivot 7 at pivot 8 and also moves in the opposite direction on the opposite end of pivot 9, causing the boss end of link 5 to press against socket 10 of jaw 4 thereby causing a powerful gripping force between the two jaws.

Due to the arrangement of the members and the system of pivots the jaws move toward and away from each other at a greater velocity than that of the corresponding movement of the handles.

The pliers may be brought into operation as follows:

With the parts in position as shown in FIG. 3 an object to be gripped may be placed between the jaws, handles 1 and 3 are then pressed toward each other. During this movement jaw 4 is moved on pivot 7 and at the same time moves in the same direction intermediate its ends. During this same movement of the handles the end of link 5 at pivot 8 is moved toward said center line between said jaws and said handles whereas the other end of the link moves about pivot 9 in the opposite direction. In this manner the boss of link 5 is pressed against socket 10 causing the gripping end of jaw 4 to move counter-clockwise about pivot 7 toward jaw 2, or said object being held, with forceful gripping action.

It will be apparent that shorter or smaller pliers may be provided for use where working space may be extremely limited. In view of this objective, jaw 4 may be mounted on pivot 6 and link 5 may be mounted on pivot 7, thereby eliminating pivot 8, without departing from the scope of my invention heretofore shown and described.

What I claim is:

A pair of pliers comprising a lever having a first handle member at one end and a first jaw member at the opposite end, a second handle member pivoted to said lever intermediate its ends, a second jaw member having a pivot socket at one end, a link having one end engaged in said socket and being pivotally mounted to said second handle member intermediate the link ends, said link having an elongated slot at its other end, a pivot member passing through said slot and connecting said link to said lever, and said second jaw member being pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said lever whereby a great gripping force will be exerted by the jaw members as the handle members are moved toward each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

